Child Mortality (under 5) in South Korea: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

To look at child mortality is to look at the most intimate grief a society can endure. In the 1800s estimate, the figure of 302.4 per 1,000 births reflects a world where early loss was a frequent and tragic visitor in almost every household. These are not merely data points, but a heavy burden carried by families across generations. For centuries, the fundamental measure of society's trajectory was written in the empty spaces where children should have been, making survival a fragile, uncertain miracle.

The historical arc reveals a monumental transformation. From the 1810s estimate at 295.57 and the 1820s estimate at 288.74, the decline moved slowly through the 1830s estimate at 281.9, 1840s estimate at 275.07, 1850s estimate at 268.24, 1860s estimate at 261.41, 1870s estimate at 254.58, 1880s estimate at 247.74, and 1890s estimate at 240.91. By the 1900s estimate it was 234.08 per 1,000 births. This momentum accelerated through the 1910s estimate at 209.79, 1920s estimate at 185.5, 1930s estimate at 161.22, 1940s estimate at 136.93, 1950s at 112.64, 1960s at 83.25, 1970s at 53.87, 1980s at 24.48, 1990s at 17.56, 2000s at 10.64, and 2010s at 6.82.

Today, the reality for a child born in South Korea is fundamentally different. In the 2020s, child mortality (under 5) stands at 3 per 1,000 births — ranking #9 of 157 countries. As you look toward the future, the 2030s projection anticipates 2.4, the 2040s projection expects 1.92, and the 2050s projection reaches 1.54. By the 2060s projection, 2070s projection, 2080s projection, 2090s projection, and 2100s projection, the value settles at 1.5, marking a near-total victory over early childhood loss.

Explore MYRIAD to compute your own parallel lives across history.